Biographical Summary

Burns came to the restaurant business by way of real estate. After earning an MBA at the University of Florida, she began working in real estate development for Taco Bell, where she remained for eight years. She came to Darden in 1999, as Vice President of Development for Red Lobster; she worked primarily in development at Darden until she was named President of Bahama Breeze in 2006. As of November 2012, there were 33 Bahama Breeze in the US; most are in suburban retail districts and tourist areas. In 2012 she was given a new position at Darden; her current title is SVP, Strategic Platform and Development.